Bourne man caught drink driving for a second time

A Bourne man was caught drink driving by police who were conducting a missing person investigation.

Robert Stewart Goodman, 64, of The Pollards, admitted drink driving in Rippingale on April 24.

Prosecuting, Daniel Pietryka told Grantham Magistrates’ Court on Monday that Goodman was spoken to by police in Main Street, Rippingale, at 10.30pm while they were looking for a missing man.

He failed a roadside breath test. Goodman gave a reading of 86 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. The court heard that he had been banned from driving for the same offence in 2008.

Defending, Simon Cobb told the court that Goodman was acquainted with another man about 10 years his senior who was known to be vulnerable. On the day, Goodman had shared a drink with the man. When his acquaintance decided he wanted to go home to Rippingale, Goodman had tried to call a taxi to take him but to no avail.

After some insistance, Goodman agreed to take the man home himself and drove along the back roads to Rippingale. When they arrived in the village the police were looking for Goodman’s acquaintance after he was reported missing, although Goodman was unaware of this.

Mr Cobb said the inevitable driving ban would be ‘catastrophic’ for Goodman and his family because he was a full-time carer for his son who had cerebral palsy and needed to be taken to appointments. His wife worked as a full-time cleaner and was the only bread winner.

Mr Cobb said Goodman was ‘sorry and ashamed’ for putting his family into this position. He said: “Circumstances got the better of him and he succumbed.”

Magistrates banned Goodman from driving for three years. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.

Goodman was offered the drink driver’s rehabilitation course which will reduce his ban by 36 weeks if he completes it.

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